Recruiting: Who Stood Out at Northern Rise, 2013 Division

On three of the hottest days to hit Massachusetts this year, The Northern Rise Tournament brought around 2200 athletes and 158 college coaches to the scenic campus of Governor’s Academy in Newbury, Massachusetts.

The 2013 division featured teams from across the Eastern Seaboard and Utah. South Jersey Selects won the the division, but the talent was strong across the age level. Here are some of the highlights.

Sarah Bowles, Midfield, CNYELC 13 (Cicero-North Syracuse, NY)
Bowles contributed several goals throughout the weekend, including two (at least!) in the second half of her squad’s match against Metaconet Black. The goals were not shocking considering how many shots she took no matter how much traffic was around her.

Sarah Klaben, Midfield, CNYELC 13 (Baldwinsville, NY)
Another standout middie on the Central New York team, Klaben seemed to act as her team’s quarterback. She set the tempo of play, created lanes for her teammates and has a lot of speed.

Annie Glenn, Midfield, Utah Mamaci (Skyline, UT)
Glenn’s play in her team’s first game of the tournament had people buzzing and lining up to see the Mamaci play for the rest of the weekend. Glenn is a huge playmaker and contributes all over the field. She wins faceoffs, forces turnovers and blazes up and down the field. She was a danger every time she got to the net.

Glenn’s fellow Utah middies Mara Gronseth (2015) and Markie Wright (2014) were playing with and against 2013s, but their focus and patience helped the Mamaci stay in the opposing teams’ zones.

Bria Litow, Midfield, Hudson Valley Hurricanes (Minisink Valley High School)
Litow was a highlight on the Hudson Valley team, especially on draw controls in the second half of her team’s game against Revolution Lacrosse’s Blue Team.

Christine Gill, Attack/Midfield, Revolution Blue (Thayer Academy)
Gill showed strong abilities all over the field, quarterbacking her team and keeping her team in the opposing team’s zone. She completed excellent feeds to teammates, and showed a keen awareness of everything on the field.

Hannah Lindgren (Midfield, Algonquin Regional) was the beneficiary of Gill’s field presence, not shying away from making shots and scoring several goals.

Taylor Polhemus, Attack, Rebels 13 Blue (Sherwood)
Opposing teams had to hope that they kept the ball in their pockets around Polhemus, because she pounced on groundballs blazingly quick. She does not struggle at all to shovel the ball into her stick, giving her team a distinct advantage.

Hunter Gray, Defense, South Jersey Selects Black 13 (Lenape)
The South Jersey Selects had several of the tournament’s best 2013s, and Gray was one of them. She frustrates whomever she is covering, and was used against other team’s most dominant players. Her coverage of the Utah Mamaci’s Annie Glenn in a quarterfinal game was stellar, neutralizing many of her shot or pass chances. Gray plays a smart defense, not eliciting a lot of whistles. Another high point for Gray was her speed - her sprints ensured she was never caught off guard. Gray is just fun to watch.

Teammate Lauren Anderson (Attack, Cherry Hill) took some of the tournament’s most quality shots. She has excellent aim, with successful shots that cut through high traffic in front of the net. Anderson also was a danger from outside the circle, scoring an impressive goal from a good seven to eight feet away that had everyone (regardless of team allegiance) impressed.

Kim Coughlan, Midfield, LI Express (St. Anthony’s)
If you take a peek at a LI Express box score, you would see Coughlan’s number 11 all over it. Coughlan seems to be a team all by herself - she wins faceoffs and was her team’s leading goal scorer. She is a very physical player, and gives her team as many opportunities as possible to win.

Two of Coughlan’s LI Express teammates, midfielders Emily Rogers and Madeline Wollmuth, are high school teammates from Ward Melville. Both showed crisp passing and connected well with Coughlan. Wollmuth was the Express’s key at picking up groundballs, and Rogers was good at creating space through strong defenses. Rogers isn’t afraid to challenge the goalie and get up close to the net.